Free Vst Stereo Imager
Free instant audio imaging Updated in 2019 with immersive, fluid visuals, full resizability, and a smooth new Stereoize mode, this free plug-in offers a wider world of possibilities for imaging in your mix.
Overview
Creating a Virtual S Channel!
The bx_stereomaker is a frequency-optimized M/S upmixing plugin that converts ANY mono signal to stereo, while keeping them 100% mono-compatible!
How many times have you had to deal with a signal that just won't fit in the mix because it's mono? But with modern mixes becoming both tighter and wider, adding reverb or modulation effects can easily destroy the tight center of a mono lead vocal, guitar, or synth track. Still, you need to process and spread those sounds to lay them perfectly into the mix.
bx_stereomaker can help.
bx_stereomaker creates a virtual S signal with analog style filters using Brainworx legendary M/S stereo algorithms. This plugin will take any mono signal and make it stereo while allowing you to balance the center position. You can even focus the process on specific frequency ranges in your signal. And you can solo the virtual S signal!
Features
- Adjust the stereo-width added to the mono source signal from 0% to 300%
- Hi-Damp knob allows you to create a warm sounding stereo expansion without sounding tinny
- The plugin creates a virtual S channel (which you can solo)
- The results are spectacular, and your signal stays 100% mono-compatible!
Using Multiband Stereo Image Modifier Lite you can freely change the sense of space, in 3 different frequency-ranges. Mid/Side mode optimalizes the audio sign. You can change the volume or stereo image with the Mid/Side volume functions. Graphic frequency range handler interface: It can manage 3 different frequency ranges. Brainworx’s bxsolo is a free stereo imaging plug-in offered for free to everyone who signs up at Plugin Alliance. Employing the infinitely useful m/s processing technique, it gives you a surprising degree of control over the placement of sounds in the stereo spread.
Audio Examples
Industry Reviews
bx_stereomaker is one of the only plugins that can take a mono signal and make it super stereo. Very handy tool.
Customer Reviews
bx_stereomaker
Make Mono Sounds Great Again!bx_stereomaker
I'm writing this review to answer the question: Why should I spend $99 on this when I can get Wider for free? Wider pings the panning position of the signal with each note very obnoxiously. While I… Read MoreThanks a lot and enjoy your new tool!bx_stereomaker
There are many good mono to Stereo Plugins out there, but nothing feels like bx_stereomaker, because you can really make a mono source come to populate the stereofield in a unique & lively way, and… Read MoreDepth and dimension
VERY interesting tool for almost any meldodic element like guitar, synth, even vocals, if you use it wisely and not overdo it. I am just a recording hobby musician, no pro, but, man, this thing is… Read MoreThanks!BX Stereomaker
It is briljant. It changes a mono signal to a full, living stereo sound.
You will absolutely purchase this plug-in after 30 seconds of demoing. Great results can be achieved with only a few… Read More
Specification
Supported Plugin Formats
AAX DSP, AAX Native, AU, AAX AudioSuite, VST2, VST3
Supported Operating Systems
macOS 10.9 through 11.0.1
Windows 7 through 10
Mac
Intel CPU only (minimum 2 GHz recommended)
PC
x64-compatible CPU
System Requirements
Display resolution: 1440 × 900px or 1280 × 960px or higher
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Downloads
With the Installation Manager, you can select, download and install just the Plugin Alliance products and formats you need for your system.
bx_stereomaker Installers
Installation Manager
ChangeLog
Brainworx bx_stereomaker - Changelog
Version 1.11 (May 27, 2020)
- General: Qualified for use with the Windows 10 May 2020 Update
- General: VST3: Fixed potential hangs in a DAW upon loading
- General: Fixed logical issues in undo / redo behavior
- General: Fixed UI resizing issues in Ableton Live on Windows
- General: Fixed audio processing initialization issues on amp and delay products
Version 1.10 (Nov 06, 2019)
- General: Qualified for use with macOS 10.15 Catalina
- General: Qualified for use with Windows 10 November 2019 Update
- General: Fixed plugin validation in Logic under macOS Catalina
- General: Fixed preset name restore in Logic when reopening a session
- General: Fixed opening authorization dialog triggering automation
- General: Improved instantiation times for plugins
- General: Improved license functionality and branding for subscription
- General: Removed 32-bit support on macOS and Windows
Version 1.9 (Jul 10, 2019)
- General: macOS 10.14.5 Update compatibility
- General: Windows 10 1903 Update compatibility
- General: Fixed activation issue in Windows hosts set to non-English language (e.g. Cakewalk)
- General: AU: Fixed issue with increased CPU and memory on reopening UI
- General: VST3: Fixed issue with adapting to host knob mode, and now prioritizing linear
- General: VST3: Fixed issue with VST3 preset permissions
- General: VST3: Improved synchronization between parameter states and some UI functions, e.g. toolbar reset
Version 1.8 (Nov 16, 2018)
- General: macOS Mojave compatibility
- General: Windows October 2018 update compatibility
- General: adding Windows High DPI support for VST2/3 plugins
- General: Fixed potential crashes in Cubase and other VST2 / VST3 DAWs
- General: Fixed potential CPU spikes and audio dropouts
- General: Fixed rendering in Pro Tools on the start of a session
- General: Fixed missing presets in Wavelab and other VST3 DAWs
- General: Improving keyboard control, fixing issues with catched keys preventing it from passing through to DAW
- General: Fixed parallel use of host sessions (e.g. with Live)
Version 1.7 (May 24, 2018)
- General: Microsoft Windows Redstone 4 compatibility
- General: Added computer keyboard control for plugin parameters
- General: Fixed Mouse scroll wheel not working in Windows 8
- General: Fixed an issue where plugins will not validate or load after a certain amount of plugins have been loaded (Windows)
- General: Fixed visual GUI freezes when adjusting DAW parameters, meters, analyzers (Mac)
- General: Fixed possible issue with Pick Pack licenses
- General: Small licenser stability fix
Version 1.6 (Oct 23, 2017)
- General: Mac OS High Sierra compatibility
- General: Fixed possible crash on online activation (Mac OS High Sierra)
- General: Fixed Logic Pro X not validating AU plugins (Mac OS High Sierra)
- General: Fixed CPU spikes and crashes with Cubase (Windows)
- General: Fixed bug that could lead to 'AAE -6 error' in ProTools (Windows)
- General: Fixed crash with FL Studio
- General: Fixed crash when cross-opening plugins in various hosts
- General: Fixed crash when using mixdown in Audition
- General: Fixed crash in Final Cut Pro
- General: Fixed delayed parameter handling and crackling issues in Cubase with VST3
- General: Fixed bug where plugin settings were not saved in Harrison Mixbus
- General: Fixed bug that led to AAE error -9317 in ProTools when instantiating plugin
- General: Fixed bug where plugins did not render properly when 'x ray' option is enabled in Sonar
- General: Modifications to factory presets were lost when reopening session
- General: Fixed mouse wheel behaviour with second monitor setup (Windows)
- Some plugins: Value labels do not appear every time when clicking on parameter in UI
- General: Faster instantiation time for plugins (Windows)
- General: Adding support for automation highlighting in Presonus StudioOne
Version 1.5.1 (Dec 20, 2016)
- General: Mac OS Sierra compatibility
- General: Fixed automation issues in AU and AAX
- General: Fixed license dialog use of special characters
- General: Improved AU preset support
- General: Performance improvements
Version 1.5 (Apr 1, 2016)
- General: Major UI codebase update
- General: Fixed possible crash when authorizing plugin
- General: Added gain reduction meter support for StudioOne 3
- General: Installers show version info in Windows 'Programs And Features'
Version 1.4.4 (Jan 18, 2016)
- General codebase update
- Removing RTAS format support
Version 1.4.3 (Jul 18, 2015)
- General codebase update
Version 1.4.2 (Jun 22, 2015)
- General codebase update
Version 1.4.1 (May 27, 2015)
- Fixed wrong installation path for 32-bit Win VST plugin version
Version 1.4 (Apr 14, 2015)
- Added AAX DSP format
- Fixed switch behavior
- Fixed clip indicator
- Fixed meter inaccuracies
Version 1.3 (Nov 18, 2013)
- Licenser update (V3): Fixes and new features
- Prevent wrong mouse wheel behavior in 32-bit hosts on 64-bit Windows (Windows bug) (87, 95, 156)
- Fixed keyboard events after text input in Pro Tools Windows (325)
- Fixed parameter value display in VST3 (330)
- Fixed toolbar triggering automation (335)
- Fixed window size issues (279, 327)
- Fixed possible preset issues in Pro Tools 11 (312)
Version 1.2.1 (Jun 28, 2013)
- fixed installer for 32-bit Windows
Version 1.2 (Jun 21, 2013)
- added support for Pro Tools 11
- licenser update: fixes and new features
- fixed automation with VST3 offline processing
Version 1.1.1 (Apr 15, 2013)
- fixed sporadic noise-bursts / pops / clicks when re-opening sessions and switching between banks and presets
- fixed muted busses when re-opening sessions
Version 1.1 (Apr 05, 2013)
- otimized performance
- fixed issues with possible high CPU load
- fixed Avid related issue in Pro Tools 10 that could lead to sporadic crashes
- fixed issue that could lead to values jumping in Ableton Live
Version 1.0.2 (Feb 25, 2013)
- fixed PT issues
- licenser: improved Pro Tools activation
Version 1.0.1 (Oct 31, 2012)
- fixed various potential crashes
- licenser: minor fixes
- licenser: fixed activation issue under Mac OS 10.5 / Pro Tools 8
- licenser: fixed potential crash in online activation under Mac OS
- licenser: fixed issues with USB stick activation
- licenser: fixed file handling with offline activation
- change company string to Plugin Alliance
Version 1.0.0 (Aug 20, 2012)
- Release version
Try for Free
To start a 14-day fully functional trial: Simply download and run the installer on this page, then activate the plugin from within your DAW using your Plugin Alliance account information. No dongle required.
4.8 out of 5 stars
46 total reviews
bx_stereomaker
Make Mono Sounds Great Again!
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Getting a wide stereo sound in mixes or recordings is one of the most desired techniques in music production.
And as there are actual ways you can accomplish this using recording techniques like Blumlein or mid-side techniques, we often find that we need to apply stereo widening to already recorded tracks within our DAW.
One of the best ways to do this is with a dedicated software plugin. Quite likely, your DAW may have something within the lines of a stereo widener, and there are many good quality paid versions out there.
But we decided to take a look at some of the best free stereo widener VST and AU plugins available for download in this guide. Let’s check ’em out!
Find more great gear here:
Free Stereo Width Plugins
Here we go over some of the most effective free stereo widening plug-instructor available, all of which can do a great job of making individual tracks bigger and wider.
With simplified control and undeniably great sound, these free plug-ins are excellent alternatives to costly and impractical hardware solutions and esoteric studio techniques.
The List
Plugin Roundup
iZotope’s Ozone Imager is the free standalone plug-in version of the imaging technology found in the company’s own Ozone mastering suite. Although it has a much simpler set of controls than its more fully-featured counterpart, Ozone Imager is nevertheless capable of narrowing or widening the stereo image of your audio to a remarkably precise degree.
Like most of the components of Ozone, Imager provides immediate visual feedback that enables intuitive setting of the parameters. The plug-in even has a vectorscope and a correlation meter that aid in precision sound-staging during mixing and mastering.
Voxengo’s Stereo Touch employs mid/side coding in transforming the most basic mono sources into rich stereophonic tracks. Best suited to mono sources that don’t have a lot of sharp transients, it is especially effective for widening acoustic and electric guitars, synthesizer pads, and vocals. With the spacious and expansive “surround” produced by this plug-in, you no longer have to devote time and channel space to double tracking.
Stereo Touch also works on multi-channel input signals, processing each one independently as separate mono signals. The stereo streams are then combined to produce a single stereo signal at the output.
Whether you are looking for a quick way to add stereo imaging or you want to widen a mono source, Stereo Touch will deliver like a champ.
A1Audio’s A1StereoControl does exactly what it says on the tin: give you precise control over stereo imaging. Even though it is equipped only with a single knob, you can expand or limit your tracks’ stereo width to a remarkable degree.
One of the best things about A1StereoControl is how easily it helps you sidestep a common issue when “stereoizing” bass sounds. The plug-in has a “Safe Bass” algorithm that centers all the low frequencies below a user definable threshold. This keeps bass and other low-end sounds right at the center of the stereo spread, where they won’t cause any phasing issues.
Even without the dedicated mid/side controls found in other imaging plug-ins, A1StereoControl prevents your low end from causing any issues when collapsed to mono.
MeldaProduction’s MAutopan is more of a panning plug-in than a dedicated stereo imager, but it is quite a capable one at that. The plug-in employs a unique modulation system that consists of continuously adjustable oscillators. Each of these oscillators may combine predefined shapes, custom waveforms, and algorithmic post-processing.
The result is a tremendous degree of control by which you can define the stereo placement of your sounds.
MAutopan actually handles more than just mono and stereo sources. The plug-in is also capable of processing up to eight channels of surround audio, making it a useful tool for game and film audio production.
QuickQuak Audio’s UpStereo is a sort of classic in stereo imaging circles, with a set of simple controls that can make short work of stereoizing any mono source. It employs a fixed frequency EQ, a stereo widening unit, and a loud switch, all of which result in bigger, wider, and louder tracks.
Unlike most other stereo widening plug-ins, UpStereo comes with an option to push the sound into overdrive. Combined with the stereo widening capabilities of the unit, this makes it possible to produce individual sounds that stand out without the need for extensive processing.
Brainworx’s bx_solo is a free stereo imaging plug-in offered for free to everyone who signs up at Plugin Alliance. Employing the infinitely useful m/s processing technique, it gives you a surprising degree of control over the placement of sounds in the stereo spread.
Free Vst Stereo Imager Software
A comprehensive range of solo features are included with the bx_solo, giving you the ability to hear the left, right, middle, and side channels while tweaking. This feature alone adds a lot of functionality to any DAW, very few of which allow for such flexibility.
Xfer Records’ Dimension Expander is a spatial expander modeled after the popular Boss/Roland Dimension D chorus effect. By splitting audio into four parts, flipping the phase of two streams and then delaying them, the plug-in produces rich, lush, and wide textures that retains punch and clarity.
Best Free Stereo Imaging Vst
Admittedly, the Dimension Expander is a bit of a one-trick pony. But the trick is a pretty damn impressive one.
And considering the relative rarity and cost of the Dimension D in the vintage market, this free plug-in will make a welcome addition to your suite of stereo imaging plug-ins.
Top Pick
The Ozone Imager is pretty much the one to beat in this roundup. Offering all the flexibility, control, and great sound that iZotope has become known for, it can handle most every stereo widening need you can think of and then some.
Free Vst Stereo Imager Am Fm
That being said, the Voxengo Stereo Touch, the A1StereoControl, and MAutopan all deserve special mention as well. Going well beyond the capabilities offered by most stereo imaging plug-ins, and or all of these three will find a welcome place in any mix engineer’s arsenal.